General News and Information on College

 School Profile Document

• College Board's Big Future
• Curious about which schools require SAT or ACT?  Always confirm the current situation via any school's own website, but this is a useful link.  
• College Majors 101 to explore career paths and majors.
• WOIS: Most students were given their WOIS log in info before leaving for the COVID-19 break.  Site key required, contact counselor if need yours.  Great resource!  Spend some time learning your strengths, interests, and options!  
• College Scorecard is a great comparison tool. 
• Check out this website featuring student-made videos at colleges across the country: Campus Reel

Opportunities Abound!

• Lone Wolf Wildfire LLC is looking for firefighters for the 2024 Fire Season.  Pay starting at $30 hour depending on experience.  Accepting Applicatons, see flyer in office or call Dave at 509-301-8725

Tough to Make a College Visit?  Virtual Fair!

  

PNACAC has moved its annual fall fairs online!  Washington Student Week is October 19-23, and you can register now by clicking the button on this site.  Free!  

NCAA or NAIA

Click  HERE to find information or to create your profile to become eligible.for NCAA.
Click  HERE for information or to create your profile to become eligible for NAIA
 

Tips for College Visits

WWCS School Counseling enthusiastically recommends high school students of all levels making official visits to as many campuses as possible!  The link below has some tips for focusing on what is important; the academic and career tips are especially helpful and too easily overlooked on any "tour," so you may have to ask!

 

• PSAT/NMSQT:  A preliminary SAT and scholarship contest, in October of junior year.
  • Video, How to access PSAT scores online, click here
  • Video, understanding your PSAT score report, click here
  • Video, How to link your College Board account to Khan Academy, click here
• PSAT 8 and 9 as practice for PSAT/NMSQT and for the SAT
• PSAT 10  

Click here for a useful guidefor understanding your test scores

• ASVAB
• ASVAB Follow Up/Career Exploratory
• NWEA MAP- 7th and 8th grade participate in MAP testing, a tool used by the school to follow the progress of students and meet their individualized growth needs.
• SAT:  Free full-length test and free KHAN ACADEMY prep accessible HERE; register HERE

To Search for SAT Test Centers on any date: HERE
   

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Scholarship Documents and Information, Class of 2025! 

Some of this information is historical. It will be updated when available.  Some never changes.  If you find a broken link, let me know and I will get you the information.  This is adaptive and changes with student patterns and requests, so help me help you best!
 --Mrs. Ruthven :) 

 

• The Network of enlightened Women (NeW) Essay Contest invites high school juniors and seniors and college women to submit a 600-750 word essay for the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship and the chance to be published in a national publication. The contest will be open from March 1-31.  

  
Who: Female high school juniors and seniors and women enrolled in an undergraduate institution  
  
Start Date: Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 9:00am ET  
  
Deadline: Monday, March 31, 2025, at 11:59pm ET  
  
Prize: $1,000 for the first-place winners of the College and High School Category. The first-place essays will have the opportunity to be published.  
  
Interested participants can find more information about the contest here:https://enlightenedwomen.org/programs/new-essay-contest/.  
The link to submit an essay can be found here: https://www.tfaforms.com/5168203     
  
  

• Abbot and Fenner Essay Scholarship:  Write an essay, win $1000. Due June 10, 2025.  Full information at their website.  

• Catholic Daughters, Local award of $500: Paper application available by request, due May 31, 2025 and notified soon after June 10. Requires 2 letters of reference and high school transcript in addition to the brief application.    

• P1FCU At least 15 $1,000 awards, minimum GPA 3.0.  Deadline March 31!  Submit by emailing to [email protected]  , drop it off at one of the branches, mail it in, or email directly to [email protected] 

• WSSRA (Washington State School Retirees Association): This is an excellent source of funding for students who wish to be teachers or work in other capacities within schools (admin, counseling).  Need a 3.0 or higher GPA.  Remember this when student teaching, too!  Due March 1, 2025, notification by May 16!    
• WSOS: (Wasington State Opportunity Scholarship): The Career & Technical Scholarship is now open for Washington residents pursuing an eligible trade, STEM, or health care program at a community or technical college. This scholarship offers $1,500 per quarter in scholarship funding towards eligible certificate, apprenticeship, or associate degree programs. 
  Scholarship funding is flexible and can cover housing, transportation, food, and more! CTS supports Washington residents of any age on their path to high-demand, family-wage careers.
  If you live in a rural county, you will be automatically considered for theRural Jobs Initiative, which provides thousands more in scholarship dollars to support education and training that leads to jobs in your community.
   
• Columbia REA:  This local scholarship requires a transcript and letters of recommendation, opens Jan. 1 and is due March 7, 2025. (For Columbia REA members/family)
• Columbia REA Jeff Meredith:  Supports people starting or continuing studies in an Electrical Lineworker Program (ELP). For anyone!  
• FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) link to official site here.  FAFSA 2025-26 will use prior-prior year taxes (2023) and the application has been open since December 2024!  
• National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) represents 26 national/international sororities and offers scholarships to women.  Check it out!  
• If this is a family's FIRST time using FAFSA, both student and parent need an account.  Start here any time. If parents already have an account, only student needs to create one.  
• ELKS MVS:  This is an early one!  Due in November each year, so don't miss out.   
• Blue Mountain Community Foundation: Opens January 1, closes March 10! The most important local scholarship to apply for.  This one application covers numerous local awards!  
• Pacific Northwest Grain and Feed, April. See here.  
• Northwest Grain Growers:  Many students request this, but it's included in the BMCF, see above, opening Jan. 1 annually. 
• Far West Agribusiness, opens Jan, due April. 
• Washington State 4-H: Due March 15 annually. 
• Walla Walla Cattlemen's Association:  Paper form must be picked up at WSU Extension, see this link, due March 31, 2024
• Anderson Perry Local STEM Scholarship:  This is a local award for anyone going into a STEM field. Three awards, $5,000 each!
• Kiwanis Service/Merit, Walla Walla:  Ideal for students who have done a lot of service and have good grades!  Local!  It's due April 3 this year!
• Elks Scholarships and Legacy Awards, For children and grandchildren of Elks only, application due annually in February.  Click here to apply. 
• Elks Vocational Grants: This is a local and WA state scholarship only, available to US Citizens planning on a 2 year terminal degree.  Applications are online and due to the local lodge by March , 2022.  Visit this site and be sure to roll your mouse over "What we do" and then click "Scholarships."  Due February 7, 2025!
• Elks Dave Nicholas Memorial Scholarship: Only for students with a GPA between 2.2 and 3.2, not above!  This is a slam dunk for those who apply.  Due annually in Mid March, paper application available from Mrs. Ruthven
• Gillette:  Paper only, local scholarship for scholar athletes, comes out in February, due in April each year! It's IN!  See Mrs. Ruthven
• PEO Scholarship, for Women only, was due June 30 for 23-24 cycle.  
• Cardinal Newman Society Essay Contest:  Click Here to learn more, but this is a $5000 renewable scholarship (over $20,000 over four years) based on one essay!  It only applies to participating colleges, but some are colleges we have applied to or been recruited by in recent years!  
• This link takes you to a page page from Scholarships.com clearly lists a number of scholarships available only to Hispanic and Latino students.  
• For a WA state scholarship search tool, create a profile here and see what you can access: theWashBoard.org
• Marsden Scholarship:  One of the most generous scholarships rewarding academic potential in the Pacific Northwest.  OPEN now, due March 15.  Full information at the link, including a checklist.  High-achieving students should check this out!  
• College Board's Big Future Scholarship:  It's so easy to qualify for their monthly drawings!  Go here and follow the easy instructions. Side benefit: It will get you studying for your SATs and learning about colleges.  
• Cardinal Newman Scholarships:  Great opportunities!
• AAUW, American Association of University Women, local chapter:  These are included in the Blue Mountain Community Foundation application, but check out the specifics at the link. 
• Cut Costs on Private Education from the Independent Colleges of Washington State:  Hoping to cut costs on a private school in WA?  Check out this website.  There are awards requiring applications, and some corporate monies available.  Worth a look!    
• Frenchtown Rural Fire District Resident Firefighter Program:  Live and work alongside professionally trained career and volunteer firefighters while earning nationally recognized certifications and an associates degree in fire and emergency services.  100% tuition reimbursement available.  Website is under construction, but visit frenchtownfire.org, email [email protected], call 406-626-5791, or see the poster in senior hall for more information, application due in March.    
• McGregor Standing Tall for Northwest Agriculture scholarship, follow the link, up to $1,000 for ag-based or ag-related fields of study.  
• 4-H:  Check out the Burgess or these WA State 4-H awards, March deadlines.
• See this site for a list of "targeted scholarships' that may apply to your school (Montana, Idaho, etc.) 
• Great article on Big Money, Hard Choices  from Cardinal Newman Society.  
• WIAA Smart Choices Scholarship:   This is based in WA state and on participation and leadership in school activities.  2 $5000 awards and 8 $1000 awards will be granted!  Jack Lesko earned this one, 2023! Go for it!  

Search Engines to Try: Create profiles, browse, learn more about national and statewide options 

• Fast Web
• Scholarships.com
• Going Merry
• Washboard.org This one is WWCS School Counseling's favorite; it is run by WA state and inlcudes local, state, national awards by emailing students after they complete a profile.  For any student, any year, any time, a worthwhile exercise.  
• Scholarship Guidance:  The link here is specific for this region and time period (November through January) and worth a look.
• Information on Scholarships for Hispanic Students

College and University Specific Scholarships/Awards

• Applied to EWU?  Go here to apply for scholarships, and submit by their recommended date of January 15
• U of Montana  Consider the options here.
• Info from Oregon State, including WUE, scroll down from link
• U of Idaho  Read this, but no separate application required.  
• Montana State University: montana.edu/scholarships, and their Presidential is due December 1.  
• Gonzaga, look here
• WSU, here, finish by 1/31
• University of Oregon, here

 

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Scholarship Search Engines and Info for Non-Seniors!

• Lux Family Scholarshp Essay Contest:  Open to all current DeSales High School Students returning next year, deadline March 17.  Please download this form or pick one up at school..  $500
• Catholic Daughters of the Americas Scholarship for Freshmen, April.   
• Horatio Alger Scholarship:  This is open only to juniors. They offer over 600 scholarships up to $25,000 each.  Check it out here. 

 

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General or Interest Specific Scholarships and Awards, Including Scholarships Supporting Diverse Groups!
 

• Pointe Pest: This one is unique!  All online with uploads required, $750 one-time award for paying good deeds forward.  Due in April 2022; check it out HERE
• Haz La U: Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Due Nov. 13
• For Engineers, just an essay, Due October 16, Mechanical One
• Hispanic Fund Scholarshp
• First Generation Scholarships
• Jackie Robinson Foundation, need and diversity based. 
• McDonalds HACER for Latino Students
• College Board Opportunity Scholarships College Board Opportunity Scholarships 
• The Seattle Foundation STEM Scholarships: Just updated!  The Seattle Foundation is a source for STEM scholarships of all types. Check it out! 

 

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